The Middle East is a geopolitical region encompassing Egypt and most of Western Asia, including Iran. Unlike West Asia, which follows continental boundaries, the Middle East is defined by political borders and includes Turkey’s East Thrace in Southeast Europe.
The three most populous countries in the region are Egypt, Iran and Turkey, while Saudi Arabia is the largest by area. Arabs constitute the most widespread ethnic group, followed by Turks, Persians, Kurds, Jews and Assyrians. Major geographical features include the Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau. The Middle East was the first region outside Africa settled by modern humans and the first where writing systems developed. Situated at the intersection of three continents, it has been recognised for millennia as strategically vital. All three core Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — originated here and maintain their holiest sites in the region. Most areas exhibit hot, arid climates, particularly across the Arabian and Egyptian deserts, though major rivers including the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates provide irrigation for agriculture, and the Levantine coast and much of Turkey enjoy more temperate Mediterranean conditions.
